Section 337 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023
Below is a detailed breakdown of Section 337 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, part of Chapter XVIII – Offences Relating to Documents and Property Marks:
📜 Section 337 – Forgery of Court Records or Public Registers
⚖️ Offence Description
Anyone who forges a physical or electronic document, purporting it to be any of the following, commits an offence:
A Court record or judicial proceeding,
An identity document issued by the government (e.g., Aadhaar, voter ID),
A public register (such as birth, marriage, death registries),
Any official certificate or document made in an official capacity,
Or documents granting authority in legal proceedings (e.g., power of attorney). (sudhirrao.com)
The definition explicitly includes electronic records under the Information Technology framework.
🧾 Punishment
Imprisonment of either description (simple or rigorous) for up to 7 years,
Plus fine. (sudhirrao.com)
🔍 Key Legal Elements
Scope of forgery: Includes physical documents or electronic records.
Types of forgery covered:
Court records or proceedings,
Government-issued identity documents,
Registers maintained by public servants (e.g., birth or land records),
Certificates/legal authorisations like powers of attorney.
Intent: The act must be dishonestly done, implying intent to deceive.
🛡️ Context & Reform
BNS consolidates and updates earlier provisions of the IPC, particularly emphasizing digital records and identity documents, with stronger penalties. (sudhirrao.com, facebook.com, prsindia.org)
If someone possesses a forged document from Section 337, knowing it is forged and intending to use it as genuine, they face the same penalty (up to 7 years + fine). (advocatekhoj.com)
🎥 Video Summary
Section 337 – Forgery of Court Records/Public Registers (BNS 2023)
🔑 Why It Matters
Protects judicial integrity: Safeguards courts, official records, and identity systems from tampering.
Digital-age relevance: Explicitly covers electronic documents, addressing modern forgery tactics.
Deterrent effect: High penalties reflect the gravity of forging official documents or records.
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